ESA signing Galileo agreements with the EC and EU GNSS Agency (GSA)

ESA signing Galileo agreements with the EC and EU GNSS Agency (GSA), on 15 December 2016.

From left to right: Jan Wörner, ESA Director General; Lowri Evans, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, European Commission; Carlo des Dorides, Executive Director of the European GNSS Agency (GSA).

Europe’s own Galileo satellite navigation system has begun operating, with the satellites in space delivering positioning, navigation and timing information to users around the globe.

On 15 December 2016, the European Commission, owner of the system, formally announced the start of Galileo Initial Services, the first step towards full operational capability.

Further launches will continue to build the satellite constellation, which will gradually improve the system performance and availability worldwide.

ESA has overseen the design and deployment of Galileo on behalf of the Commission, with system operations and service provision due to be entrusted to the European Global Navigation Satellite System Agency next year.